Rodney Diak
Rodney Diak (15 June 1924 – 6 October 2007) was a British film, television, and theater actor
He was well known for a string of hit performances on the West End, including and .[1]
Career[]
Rodney Diak was born as David Rodney Diak[1] in Harrow, England. He made his West End theater debut with Michael Redgrave and the Old Vic Company in Shakespeare's "Love's Labours Lost" at the New Theater at the age of 24.[1] He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer with the Old Vic Company.[2] In 1951, Diak appeared on stage in Twelfth Night in front of an audience which included Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.[1] Princess Margaret remarked about Diak after the performance, "That's the most handsome actor in Britain."[1]
One of Diak's most successful performances was his turn in , which ran for 691 performances.[1][3] His career continued with another success with the play Busybody, which debuted in 1964.[1] He continued to appear in a number of stage roles later in his career including , Private Lives, The Boy Friend, and My Cousin Rachel.[1]
Diak's film career yielded mixed results at first. He was reportedly horrified to learn that his first feature film debut movie would be Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956) after signing a contract with MGM Studios.[1] Diak's career improved after appearing in Dunkirk (1958) opposite actors John Mills and Richard Attenborough.[1] Diak also had smaller roles in Mr. Topaze (1961) with Peter Sellers and The Flesh and Blood Show (1972).[4] He also starred in several BBC television series including Z-Cars, Barlow at Large, The Troubleshooters and .[1] He had a cameo role in Carry On Admiral.[1]
Filmography[]
- Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956) - Anderson
- Dunkirk (1958) - Pannet
- The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) - Warner
Death[]
Rodney Diak died on 6 October 2007 in London from cancer, aged 83.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Rodney Diak, actor, 83". Variety. 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Rodney Diak - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "Production of Goodnight Mrs Puffin - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "Rodney Diak". BFI.
External links[]
- Rodney Diak at IMDb
- 1924 births
- 2007 deaths
- English male film actors
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- People from Harrow, London
- Deaths from cancer in England
- English actor stubs